Page 81 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Somalia Launches Coordination Committee on ICT Policy and Strategy

The Ministry of Post, Telecom and development goals of Somalia. They also this trend will be maintained to some
Technology (MPTT) has launched the noted that after the inaugural meeting, the extent even if the negative impact of the
National Coordination Committee (NCC) on NCC would develop a work plan that can pandemic is overcome,” said the minister
the implementation of the ICT Policy and be implemented despite the COVID-19 adding that "the plans outlined in the
Strategy that was approved by the Cabinet. lockdown. The Committee has finally Policy, such as e-health, e-education, and
The NCC consisting of representatives approved their terms of reference. Abdi e-government are more important today
from the federal ministries of Posts & Ashur Hassan, Minister for Post, Telecom than they were when we developed the
Telecom (Chair); Planning; Finance; and Technology, urged the Committee Policy in 2019”. The Policy implementation
Interior and Federal Affairs; Information; members to take this responsibility comes at a time when every sector is
Central Bank; National Communications seriously and work hard to coordinate trying to automate to maintain social
Authority; and Office of Prime Minister; the initiatives of all stakeholders, both distancing. The Policy’s main areas of
was set up to assist in the successful in the public and private sectors, to help priority include: e-health, e-education,
implementation of the Policy that is aimed our country move fast in ICT. "One of the e-skills, e-agriculture, e-commerce, digital
at advancing the use of ICT as a social lessons COVID-19 taught us is to use ICT transformation in government, and local
and economic development tool. Ministry more than ever before. We were forced content development.
representatives highlighted the importance to use virtual meetings and learning to
of the Policy for the socio-economic help life continue smoothly. It is expected

California Public Utilities Commission Approves T-Mobile-Sprint Merger,

Applies ‘Extensive’ Conditions

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has belatedly ensure that T-Mobile delivers on its promises to consumers’,
approved the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile US, after applying an including requirements for faster speeds, broader coverage, job
‘extensive’ list of conditions. Although the transaction closed on 1 creation and offerings for low-income customers. Going forward,
April – T-Mobile did not want to risk losing its in-place financing the merged company must:
– the CPUC warned the mobile giants to refrain from merging • Provide 5G wireless service with speeds of at least 100Mbps to
their Californian operations until a decision had been made, as per 99% of California’s population by the end of 2026, and 300Mbps
Section 854 of the Public Utilities Code. The CPUC has now voted to 93% by the end of 2024.
to approve the merger, after applying a number of conditions to • Provide 5G wireless service with speeds of at least 100Mbps
‘mitigate the potential adverse impacts on competition and to to 85% of California’s rural population, and speeds of at least
50Mbps available to 94% of California’s rural population, by the
end of 2026.
• Make fixed home internet access available to at least 2.3
million California households, of which at least 123,000 are
rural households, within six years.
• Maintain or improve current 4G LTE service quality and
coverage for existing customers during the transition to 5G.
• Offer the low-income California Lifeline program – a service
not currently supported by T-Mobile – for as long as it operates
in California and enroll at least 300,000 new Lifeline customers.
• Increase jobs in California by at least 1,000 compared to the
total number of current Sprint and T-Mobile employees.
TeleGeography notes that the US Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) approved the
transaction last year with conditions, including the divestiture of
Boost Mobile and a portion of 800MHz spectrum to DISH Network,
to allow the latter to establish itself as a national mobile operator.
A coalition of states, including California and New York, filed a
lawsuit to block the deal, but US District Judge Victor Marrero
ultimately ruled in favor of the deal in February.

81 APRIL 2020